Both Shopify and Etsy offer an e-commerce platform for business owners to market their goods and services. Shopify allows customers to create their own branded spaces, whereas Etsy is a marketplace. Although Etsy is most known for handmade goods, many sellers also resell vintage apparel, crafting tools, and other one-of-a-kind items. Users can sell a variety of other items on Shopify, and there is generally no set industry or market of goods that are exclusive to the platform.
Shopify
At a glance of Shopify vs Etsy, Shopify is an ecommerce website builder originating in Canada that has been around since 2004. You may easily start your own online store using this platform, which you can design however you like through prebuilt templates or bespoke advanced code. Shopify has a plethora of ecommerce tools to assist you in displaying products, defining your brand, and marketing yourself. Plus, Shopify has hundreds of integrations that allow you to expand the functionality of your business and collaborate with other apps. If you're currently running an online store with several programmes, this will come in handy. Shopify is appropriate for both large and small enterprises. Thousands of products are sold to millions of consumers utilising this platform by merchants all over the world. In fact, Shopify has handled more than $200 billion in sales to date.
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace with a'storefront' that houses multiple online retailers. The Etsy market is very competitive since all vendors have one thing in common: their items are artsy and crafty in nature. For your customers, Etsy's engagement in the purchasing process is front and centre. Etsy's take on the ecommerce market is that they sell "handcrafted, vintage, or unusual" items. And the idea has paid off: they now have over 82 million buyers all over the world. Etsy welcomes small and large independent sellers to sell on their marketplace. As a result, it's frequently an entry-level shop, best suited for novice sellers with limited inventory and one-of-a-kind things that want to generate traffic easily.
Shopify vs Etsy: Design and Customisability
Etsy
Next in our Shopify vs Etsy comparison is the web design and customisability features- something that is fundamental for customers to be able to identify your brand and feel the difference to your competition. Web design that is both intuitive and appealing is critical to the success of any online store. A sloppy-looking website will immediately turn a visitor away, so it's critical to plan out and customise your store's aesthetic meticulously. Etsy allows you to upload your own logo and product images, but that's where the customisation stops. This may be advantageous for sellers who are unfamiliar with web design- they don't have to be concerned about it. However, most businesses see this as a huge disadvantage, this reason for this is you won't be able to differentiate yourself, promote yourself, or infuse any personality into your listings. This may be problematic for those who have a clear image of what their perfect store should look like, making this a large downside of Shopify vs Etsy.
The appealing aspect about Etsy is that you're selling on a marketplace rather than starting from scratch. On the one hand, this means you can't make any mistakes with the appearance of your store as these compare similarly to other stores. On the other hand, there's no way to make your online presence stand out from the thousands of other sellers who are doing the same thing. Etsy's store pages are immaculate, which is a bonus for today's merchants. They're simple to use and everything fits together properly, so you can be assured that your customers will have no trouble locating the information they need about your products.
On the negative side, finding a way to stand out from the competition is one of the most crucial things you can do as an online business. On Etsy, it's nearly impossible to build a dedicated brand following because there's nothing to help you stand out. Remember that when people buy from you, it's the brand impressions you generate that persuade them to come back for more in the future.
Shopify
When comparing the design and customisability side of Shopify vs Etsy, Shopify is on the opposite end of the spectrum - the possibilities are practically unlimited. You'll have access to your website's backend, where you may choose from a multitude of different themes. They're optimised to cover a variety of industries, some of these are free, some come with a price tag, and so can be made completely bespoke for your Shopify store. Some of these themes even include 3D or AR capabilities, which is ideal if you own a furniture or apparel store. You can customise, alter, and rearrange a theme to your heart's delight once you've chosen one. Of course, if you're not a designer and don't plan on hiring one, risking too much customisation could throw your design off. In these instances, hiring an agency that does
custom Shopify theme development can come in handy.
You shouldn't go too far wrong, though, thanks to Shopify's wide range of appealing designs. The Shopify themes essentially serve as the framework for your website. You can pick from a variety of themes that are relevant to your needs, such as fashion and apparel, or even furniture. Your website's design will be guided by the themes, but you'll also need to be prepared to make some adjustments. The good thing about Shopify's industry-specific themes is that they not only look great for the niche you're selling in, but they also come with added capabilities, an added bonus of Shopify vs Etsy. If you sell clothing, for example, you could include a function that allows users to zoom in on designs.
Everything Shopify provides is mobile responsive, so you know you'll be able to reach your audience on any device. Furthermore, you have complete freedom to modify and reorganise until you discover a way to make your brand truly shine. Although Etsy's limited design options lessen your chances of making a mistake with your online presence, they don't allow you the creative freedom you'll need to make your site truly stand out. For those who wish to build a genuine brand image from the ground up, Shopify is significantly more adaptable. When comparing Shopify vs Etsy, Shopify is the clear winner in terms of design and customisability. It's simple to create and establish your own brand using Shopify.
Shopify vs Etsy: Domains and URLs
Shopify vs Etsy, what is the best way for customers to find you on the internet? The Shopify storefront you create will require a web address, so you'll need to register and use your own domain name. This is another great way to promote your brand. However, it comes with the additional cost of paying for hosting and domain rights. With its well-structured web domain signup process, Shopify makes this simple. Since Etsy is a marketplace, it doesn’t enable users to use their own domain.
Instead, your shop will be a subdomain of the Etsy marketplace, for example www.etsy.com/shop/your-online-store' This is a simple way to sell without having to pay for your own domain for those sellers who wish to keep things basic. You might not be ready to manage your own website, in which case an online marketplace could suffice. However, if you want to develop a personal brand, you'll need your own domain. As a result, Shopify also wins when it comes to domains and URLs.
Shopify vs Etsy: Reporting
Etsy offers a variety of reporting features to help sellers track their performance and make informed decisions. Etsy reports include sales and transactions, traffic, listings, customers, and shop performance metrics. Sales and transactions reports provide a breakdown of orders, payment methods, item prices, and item titles. Traffic reports provide insights into search terms, social media, websites, and pages viewed. Listings reports provide information on traffic sources, search terms, social media, and websites. Finally, customers reports provide insights into customer activity and purchase behavior.
Shopify provides reports that allow you to analyze your store's recent activity, understand who's visiting your website, and measure performance metrics like load times. There are different reports available depending on your Shopify subscription plan. Acquisition reports focus on visitors to your website and include three key metrics: Sessions over time, Sessions by referrer, and Sessions by location. Behavior reports focus on the actions your visitors take and provide a wide variety of insights that can help you make better promotional decisions. Professional reports are designed to help you understand your data and make better decisions for your business. They can be customised to include the specific information you want to see, and they’re usually created by experts who understand how to interpret data.
Shopify vs Etsy: Ease of Use
Shopify is a user-friendly platform for entrepreneurs looking to setup a business, offering easy website and store setup, integration with third-party solutions, and a simplified content management system. Even those with limited technical or coding knowledge can quickly set up a Shopify store, as the platform is well-designed and intuitive to use, allowing powerful ecommerce features and capabilities to be brought to life with relative ease. Shopify also offers great customer support, with guides and tutorials available for those who need help navigating the platform. All in all, Shopify is an easy-to-use platform for businesses, perfect for those looking to set up an online store and start selling quickly with minimal hassle.
Etsy is also intuitive and easy to use, as it presents a simple click-and-drag interface for editing and customising store pages. Furthermore, Etsy also offers a range of helpful tutorials and resources to help new sellers get started. There are also several third-party solutions and integrations available, which makes it easy for sellers to extend the functionality of their store. Overall, Etsy takes the edge for ease of use between Shopify vs Etsy, due to the simplicity of the platform. It is worth noting, however, that due to this simplicity, there are limitations with what can be achieved in terms of advanced ecommerce features and capabilities. Merchants should therefore weigh up the balance between ease of use and the potential they can squeeze out of each ecommerce platform.
Shopify vs Etsy: B2B and Wholesale
Shopify and
Shopify Plus offer powerful tools for B2B and wholesale selling, allowing merchants to set up contract terms, custom pricing, and quantity discounts for each customer depending on the quantities they wish to purchase. Additionally, merchants can use Shopify's POS system and hardware to accept payments in-person, adding a great sales channel for events or pop up shops. Learn more about
B2B on Shopify Plus in detail here.
Etsy is also suitable for B2B and wholesale transactions. The Etsy platform offers a Wholesale platform that is restricted to retail business buyers and wholesale sellers, so regular consumers cannot access this section. On Etsy, sellers are able to personalise listings they offer, making it easy to customise products for a business buyer. Furthermore, Etsy's Seller Handbook provides detailed guidance on how to set up a Wholesale account and how to manage wholesale orders to assist B2B users looking to selling through a wholesale channel. While Etsy does offer B2B functionality, Shopify and especially Shopify Plus is generally more suited to its more powerful
wholesale technology.
Shopify vs Etsy: Security
Etsy is dedicated to keeping their platform and sellers' accounts safe, with teams and processes working year-round to prevent fraud. To protect sellers' information, Etsy requires all sellers to set up two-factor authentication when opening up a new seller shop. Additionally, sellers are also advised to keep their passwords safe and review their payment and billing details regularly. Moreover, Etsy also provides a Purchase Protection program as part of their Etsy Payments system, which helps protect sellers from fraudulent orders.
To ensure the safety of both you and your customers, Shopify have a whole team devoted to maintaining the security of your store. Both Shopify and Etsy have secure payment systems for their sellers. Shopify does not provide a purchase protection program like Etsy does, however it does have a fraud analysis system that uses machine learning to detect fraudulent orders and protect merchants. Shopify also offers a secure hosting solution, with data centers that are monitored 24/7. Overall, while there are some differences between Shopify vs Etsy, both e-commerce platforms are highly secure so that store owners can have peace of mind when operating an online business on whichever platform they choose.
Shopify vs Etsy: Ecommerce Features
Etsy
At a glance of Shopify vs Etsy, Etsy takes pride in offering simple yet effective ecommerce solutions to help you market and expand your business. Etsy provides you with a basic toolbox that contains everything you'll need to run your Etsy business smoothly. You can manage your business and sales on the move with the 'Sell on Etsy’ app, which comes in useful if you're usually on the move. It also features marketing and advertising options that you can utilise to expand your consumer base, attract new followers, and boost your visibility online.
You may also utilise third-party programmes like Google Shopping to improve your exposure by sharing your Etsy business on social media channels like Instagram and Twitter. Etsy also has a tool for creating and managing discounts, as well as the ability to buy and print cheap postage labels, which, as you might expect, saves money on delivery.
Shopify
On the other side of Shopify vs Etsy, Shopify is known for its extensive and high-quality online sales tools. This makes it an excellent alternative for companies wishing to expand and employ a variety of marketing and promotion techniques. Shopify also provides a wonderful app store where you can add whatever more features you require to an already varied collection of tools. You can find our list of
Best Shopfiy Apps here.
Multichannel selling is a must-have tool for expanding your consumer base and making the purchasing process more convenient. The free SSL certificate ensures that users may safely make purchases on your site, which helps to create trust and confidence with potential customers. Customers who were going to make a purchase but left the checkout page are also enticed by abandoned cart recovery. But it is Shopify's inventory system that truly outperforms the competing platform in Shopify vs Etsy.
You may track and manage your stock, as well as evaluate your sales, by uploading products in bulk or one at a time. Shopify wins the prize based only on functionality. All of these added features, of course, come at a cost. So, if you're evaluating both ecommerce platforms, consider which features you'll utilise the most. After all, there's no use in paying for extra features if you're not going to utilise them. Etsy's basic toolbox is quite suitable for selling smaller volumes.
Shopify vs Etsy: Customer Support
Customer support can come in very handy whenever you run into problems our have questions when running your online store. When comparing Shopify vs Etsy, Shopify sellers have access to customer service via chat, email, and phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While Etsy offers this as well, in order to acquire a phone number, you must first select a phone-based issue from its customer care tree. Most questions will require you to send an email and wait two to five business days for a response.
Shopify vs Etsy: Pricing
Etsy
One of the main factors when deciding which ecommerce platform to use between Shopify vs Etsy, pricing is a big one. There are a few potential variables to consider when calculating the cost of running an online store. Some services appear to have transparent monthly subscription fees and rates. Even so, there are frequently hidden costs to be aware of, such as transaction or listing fees, as well as apps and add-ons that provide additional functionality. Pricing on The ordinary Etsy plan does not levy a monthly subscription, It does, however, charge a $0.20 per product listing fee. This covers the cost of publishing your product advertisement, which will be visible until the item is sold. On every item you sell, Etsy charges a 5% transaction fee plus an additional 3% + $0.25 for payment processing.
These costs can eat into your profit margins on higher-priced purchases. Payment processing fees are normal in the e-commerce business, however Etsy's are slightly more than the industry average. Again, if you're selling on a smaller scale, Etsy's transaction fees shouldn't detract too much from your revenues, and a monthly subscription might easily cover the expense of maintaining your own online store. Finally, Etsy only charges you when you make a sale, so you don't have to worry about losing money if you're not sure if your goods will sell. Etsy Plus, which costs $10 per month, adds more features.
Shopify
On the other side of Shopify vs Etsy, Shopify has a greater initial investment but provides far more customisation and flexibility, making it great value in the long-term. This is really beneficial when it comes to expanding your business. There are three
pricing options available, as well as a 14-day free trial: Basic Shopify: Monthly payment of $29: This package includes an ecommerce website and a blog which merchants can add content to, as well as the ability to list an infinite number of products, two staff accounts, 24/7 support, and multichannel selling. Shopify: $79 a month: Upgrade to five staff accounts, gift cards, professional reports, lower credit card rates, and extras at the point of sale. Advanced Shopify: $299 a month: 15 staff accounts, an advanced report builder, third-party determined shipping prices, and lower credit card rates are all included in this subscription. Shopify's Plus plan is the most sophisticated package available and is mainly aimed at large enterprises with strong growth. Read more in our article on
What is Shopify Plus?
The monthly fee is substantially greater than Etsy's, but it's well worth it if you require the additional features. Shopify's ‘Basic' plans provide you with everything you need to run a small to medium size online store efficiently. Larger firms with a lot of employees will benefit from Shopify's more expensive packages, which offer more scalability.
Payments are worth noting when considering price. Shopify's transaction costs start at 2.4 percent plus $0.30 for online sales, and are slightly more expensive with the lower-priced plans. You'll pay extra costs on a per-sale basis because Etsy doesn't charge a monthly fee unless you pay for the Plus plan. Because these fees are so many, that third parties have created profit calculators for merchants.
Bespoke Shopify Plus Websites